Author(s) :

Yuhe Wang.

Volume/Issue :

Abstract :

Athletes strive to perform at their best, especially under pressure. Psychological factors such as anxiety and confidence are believed to influence outcomes and have long been studied in sport psychology. A narrative literature review was conducted using Google Scholar to identify peer-reviewed, open-access, English-language studies published between 1988 and 2022. A total of 12 studies met inclusion criteria and were included in this review. The sample sizes of each study varied, from fewer than 15 participants to more than 400. A total sample size of 1403 participants were included in this review. Across studies, higher anxiety was generally negatively correlated with performance, although effects varied due to factors including but not limited to anxiety type, athletes’ interpretation of symptoms, and mediating variables. Findings indicate that higher confidence was positively correlated with performance outcomes. Managing anxiety and building confidence both appear important for optimizing sport performance. Future work should test practical interventions (e.g., mindfulness and coping-skills training) that target these factors.